Locking device for car seats



Sept. 27, 1932.

A. B. BELL LOCKING DEVICE FOR CAR SEATS Filed Feb. 24, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORN EY Sept. 27, 1932. BELL 1,879fl38 LOCKING DEVICE FOR CAR SEATS Filed Feb. 24, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Sept. 27, 1.932

* risen" ALFRED B. BELL, or rriiLannLri-rrn, PENNSYLVANIA, assrenon To Hanna innnnn Lannie 5 i ii '15,

00., OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE LOCKING nnvrcn roe can sna'rs Application filed February 24, 1930. Serial No. 430,572'.

Th s invention relates to locking device for car seats, and the principal object of this invention is to provide a latch mechanism of simple, durable and easy operable construction, and adapted to be conveniently as- Y .sociated with rotatable chairs of various types to hold the-chairs against rotation until released for rotation by an authorized person using a certain and predetermined type of implement.

A further object oat-this invent" on is to prodde latch meansior rotatable chairs, which requires the application and inanipulation o'f an implement of a certain type in order to release the mechanism, the mechanism being arranged, howevento automatically engage and lock tie seat automatically as the seat arrives in its final position of rotation.

Other objects of this invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter. V

ln'accordance with this invention, the latch means preferably include aplunger wholly concealed within the seat structure so as to be inaccessible to direct manipulation, and adapted to engage suitable keeper recesses provided therefor on another part of the seat structure. The plunger is adapted to .be raised to release the seat for rotation by means of a key or other implement, which is adapted to be inserted in a suitable hole in the seat structure and into engagement with the plunger. Preferably, resilient means are provided for causing the plunger to enter a keeper recess automatically whenever the plunger comes into alignment therewith;

In order that a clearer understanding of I this invention may be had, attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, and illustrating certain possible embodiments of this invention.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a rear perspective view of a port-ion of a rotating seat, in which the present invention may be 7 embodied;

Flg, 2 is a sectionalvlew thereof and is taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, Flg. 31s a sect1onal viewof the same and is 4 taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;:an'd

4 is an enlarged sectional view of adetail of the construction and istaken onth'e lineal-A ofFig.3. V i 7 Similar reference characters refer to sunilar parts throughout the several viewsot the I drawings u I 1 Referring to thedrawings, for thepurpose of presenting an illustration of one possible embodiment of my invention, I have shown in the drawings rotating chair, comprising a suitable base or pedestal 1,'on which a suitable seat back andcushion unit 2 is rotatably mounted. In the chair illustrated, the seat back andcushion unit is also a'daptedto automatically shift on the pedestal whenever it is rotated thereon. 1 f

On the pedestal 1 is positioned a plate or casting 3, provided with shoulders or flanges 4, forming a curved trackway 5". -The seat backand cushion unit 2 is mountedon a block 16 which has a stud 7 seating inthe trackwa'y 5. Block 6 is held for rotation and sliding movement on plate 3 by 'means of "gibs 8, which are secured to plate 3 and haveflanges 9 seated beneath plate 3 and flanges 10, overlapping shoulders 11 on block 6.

'A suitable housing portion 12 is formed on block 6 to slidably retain a vertical plunger .13. A spring 14, surrounding the pin 13 and seated in the housing portion 12, bears at its Preferably, the operating key is removable "upper end against the'housinfi and at i lower end against a collar or, sleeve 15, mounted onthe lower end of plunger 13.

Downward movement "of plunger 13' is limited by means of a Washer 16 secured to thetopof the plunger beneath its head 17.

A portion of the plunger13 is corrugated, as at 18. key 19 is-provided having a feathered end 20, which may be inserted into" a suitable aperture 21 provided by the housing portion'l2 into engagement with the corrugations 18, so that when the key 19 is turned in the proper direction, the plunger 13is' elevated. 3 7

Suitable keeper recesses are provided on plate 3 for the end of the plunger 13. If desired, the ends of the trackway 5 may constitute such keeper recesses. lso, if desired, a raised surface, such as 22, may be provided on plate 3 so shaped'and positioned that the end of the. plunger 13 will ride on this member as the seat is being revolved. g V The operation is as follows :When itis desired to reverse the seat, the operator inserts the key-19 into the aperture 21 and engages the koy with the plunger. Then by turning the key 19, the plunger is raised out of engagement with the plate3 and the seat may be rotated. When the plunger comes into alignment with the opposite end of the trackway 5, spring 14 causes theplunger 13 to seat in this recess and the seat becomes locked automatically against rotationuntil the plunger is again raised by the proper manipulation of key 19.

Obviously, latch mechanism constructed in accordance with the above invention may be incorporated in chairs andseats ofvarious difierent types. Also, it is readily apparent that the location of the plunger and the location and form of the keeperrecesses may be varied considerably.

The latch mechanism is extremely simple and durable, and is of such nature that it prevents rotation of the seat by unauthorized persons: who do not have possession of the key, which is required to be used to efi'ect the release of the latch.

recesses and having a horizontal passage extending from the outside of the boss to said vertical passage, and a latch-bolt slidably housed in said vertical passage and adapted to lock into said recesses of the plate when aligning therewith and having a key engageable portion exposed at said horizontal passage, whereby said bolt may be retracted by means of a key inserted in said horizontal passage and engaged with the key engageable portion of the bolt.

3. In a rotatable seat, in combination, a supportfa plate thereon having recesses, a slide-block rotatably supported on the plate and having a boss provided with a vertical "passage adapted to align separately with said recesses and havinga horizontal passage extending from the outside of the boss to said vertical passage, a latch-bolt slidably housed in said vertical passage and adapted to lock intosaid recesses of the plate when aligning therewith and having a key engageable portion exposed at said horizontal passage, whereby said bolt maybe retracted by means of a key inserted in said horizontal passage andengaged with-the key engageable portion of the bolt, and means on the upper end of the bolt and engageable against the top of the boss, limiting downward movement of the bolt in the boss.

This specification signed this 20th day of February, 1930.

ALFRED B. BELL.

the support, and a vertical latch bolt housed I for reciprocation in the seat frame'fsaid support having a recess adapted .to receive the 7 bolt to prevent rotation'of said-frame on the support, said bolt having akey'engageable portion and. said seat frame having an aperture through which a key: may be engaged with the bolt and the bolt disengaged from said recess to permit rotation of'the 'se'at frame on the support, and means on the support engaging beneath the boltand maintaining the bolt retracted while the bolt is out of the support.

2. In a rotatable seat, in combination, a

locking alignment arecess therefor on support, a plate thereon havingfrecesses, a

slide-block rotatably supportedion the plate and having a boss provided with a vertical passage adapted to align separately with said 

